A New 'Popular Revolution' In China?

Mob reportedly beats to death at least four police, after they kill a man with a hammer for photographing them abusing a woman.

By Ari Yashar

First Publish: 4/24/2014, 11:00 PM

Brutality? Riot control drill (illustration)

Reuters

China saw a new "revolution" of sorts on Saturday, as thousands of angry people in the southeast of the country beat to death, or to serious injury depending on reports, at least four police officers.

Two conflicting versions of the incident agree that the Chengguan urban management officers began allegedly beating a man in Zhejiang province's Cangnan county after he took pictures of them.

The site Revolution News shows numerous graphic pictures to support their reports of the circumstances.

According to them, the incident started when the man photographed at least four officers physically abusing a female street vendor. Angered by the man, the officers proceeded to beat him over the head with a hammer until he started to vomit blood.

Despite being rushed to the hospital, the man died on the way according to the site, which featured pictures of the blood-streaked hammer and the murdered man with blood streaming out of his mouth.

In response, thousands mobbed the streets, surrounding the officers in their van and beating them to death with stones and bats, while shouting "kill them! Kill them!"

A toned down version of the events

The South China Morning Post reported a tamer version of the events, with a mere three pictures from the violent clashes, none of which included the murdered man or the hammer.

According to their version, the man photographed officers "during their law enforcement," at which point they allegedly started beating him. A crowd of thousands soon surrounded the officers and eventually forced them to take refuge in a van.

The mob then broke their way into the van and began beating the officers "after internet rumors began circulating" that the beaten man had died, according to the paper, which said five officers were beaten and two left in severe condition.

The situation cooled down later in the afternoon according to Cangnan county's news outlet, with the two injured officers remaining in critical conditions and the other three suffering minor wounds.

Reportedly Chengguan police sparked a riot in Guizhou province last July, after beating a man to death and nearly killing his wife for trying to sell watermelon they had grown on their land. There too police brutality was reported in putting down the protests.